Ukrainians warned of new Scam

Into your room a few days received dozens of calls from different numbers. The alleged appeal of a non-existent ad or just “wrong.” Someone you call, some calls remain unanswered. A few hours later, your SIM card is blocked, social media accounts hacked, and Bank account all the money was gone.

About a new fraud scheme told in the press service of the police. The attackers call the operator, call the phone number of the victim and say that the lost phone with a map. Call to the last contact. After that, your number is “in the hands” of criminals. Can use it to hack into email, social media accounts and even Bank account.

Journalists figured out how to steal the numbers of Ukrainians and than it threatens.

Sell the rooms. Cheap

Calling the taxi company, leaving your phone number in an open form on any of the sites, you risk falling into a database of scammers. After these lists sell for a COP 2-20 per room. Base sold online. Phones “New mail”, major banks, taxi services, they all fall on the “open market”. Formally each of the companies declares: the rooms are kept as the Apple of his eye, and information is protected. In fact, all the information sold.

Buyers of such databases can be divided into two groups. The first marketers. They do SMS-mailings. In such a TEXT often informed about promotions, sweepstakes, special offers. If the store which holds the drawing, is in Kiev for 5 kopecks you can buy thousands of rooms and residents of the capital.

The second group – those who use information for a larger profit. The scammers who call you with information about the “blocking” account, or assure that your family member has violated the law and need to pay a bribe, will also most often get their information from open sources. One of the ways fraud take a closer look at this material.

The task of the crook who bought your phone number – to make your call. If an employee of the mobile operator before recovery phone number, will ask, where did you call, the scammer will easily be able to call it. But only on the condition that you “swallowed” the bait and called back.

Journalists, as an experiment, tried to recover the random phone number Vodafone. The operator asked us three questions: two numbers that you often call, amount of last Deposit, the amount in the account. To pass the test failed. However, it is worth considering that the rooms, which often communicates the client lost the room, we called almost by accident. If a scammer called you with an enviable regularity, and thus, call the amount in your account, it’s possible that “restore” the phone number he will.

Moreover, given that the police say about the increasing number of such cases, it is more than likely. A resident of the Dnieper Julia Ustimenko says: after she left my phone number in ads on OLX, it began to come SMS with suspect content, but she never answered them.

“I noticed that if you don’t sell, then post your number comes SMS: “You have won – please call”, or “Your number may be blocked – call”. I don’t know why, never called back. It is possible that it’s easier to just copy the phone number from OLX and sell it to someone for these 5 to 20 kopecks,” – said the girl.

How not to fall for the bait

An expert in the field of cybersecurity Maxi Occun advises not to fall for the bait swindlers, it is necessary to have a separate “financial room”. To it is attached a Bank card and accounts in the most important social networks. For example, if you are actively developing your Instagram, to “financial room” you can also attach this account.

The “regular” phone number you can give colleagues, friends and clients. If you use a single number, it is possible that at some point you’ll call the scammers.

How to protect yourself from fraud:

Not to call back if you call with unknown numbers;

To have a separate “financial” room for the Bank and important social networks;

On app or just tell your carrier to your room without your knowledge “restored”.

“If you listen to operators, now the rooms are so protected that it’s impossible to rip them. But we, as an experiment, tried it with a few colleagues. Hack room easier than getting the mail from the mailbox of a neighbor. What I can say: it is difficult to hack the phone number that few people know. So, if you really value them, then give everyone their personal details,” advises Maxim Occur.